Animated sign



July 24, 1928. 1,678,320

s. J. BLOCKER ANIMATED S IGN Filed Feb. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7? 7 Sx/Blaoler July 24, 1928;

, 'S. J. BLOCKER ANIMATED vSIGN Filed Feb. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SJBZoaZer Hi0: nu,

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Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL J. LBLOCKER, or DALLAS, TEXAS.

ANIMATED SIGN.

Application filed February 8,1927. Serial no. 166,786.

This invention relates to animated signs.

An important object of the invention is to produce a device of this character. in which the animated elements of the sign have a proper proportionate movement.

A further and more specific objectot the invention is the provision of a sign including a basein perspective, which may beeither modeled or painted. having superimposed thereupon a number oi movable objects forming a portion of the completed sign and means whereby these; objects may be simultaneously moved in the proper proportion, as regards their position upon the perspective.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a device of this character which may be very readily and cheaply constructed, thuslending itselfto use in the production of small advertisements and the like.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illus tration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of an animated sign constructed in accordance with iny'invention, the relative'movementsof the v parts being indicated by dotted lines Figure. 2 is a rear elevation of the sign showing a form of operating means which can be conveniently employed. V

In producing a sign in accordance with my invention, this sign is shown in. the present illustration as having a base comprising a painted perspective 10 which is-jsubdivided from the foreground F to the horizon H into a plurality of zones at, b, 0, cl, 6, f, g, h, 2', j and 76. While no actual subdivision is made, these zones are suitably designated and preferably decrease in size from the zone a to the zone is in accordance with the laws of perspective. A plurality of movable ob- .jects 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are superimposed upon the perspective, these objects being constructed in proper proportion to the position which they occupy in the perspective. It will be obvious that each of these'objects will have its base located in a certain zone a; to is of the perspective and in accordance with my invention means are provided for imparting to this movable object a movement proportionate to the zone which it occupies, that is to say, if an article located in the zone a is given a certain movement, an article located in the zone It w1ll be given a movement bearing the same proportion to the movement of the article in the zone a as the zone it bears to the zone a,

i As a ready means of imparting this movement to the movable articles, I provide a member 17 preferably concealed by the sign which is pivoted at. 18. This member 17 is subdivided. from the pivotal axis to its outer end into a plurality of zones corresponding to and proportioned similarly to the zones a to 7; of the base 10. These zones are in the present instance indicated as a;to is", the zone of the member which corresponds to the zone of the base being the prime of the ordinal indicating the zone of the base. To, each of the movable objects 11 to16, is secured an arm 19 which, in the present illustration, is disclosed as directed through the sheet 20 upon which the background is formedand' extended in parallel relation to the back of the sheet. The arms 19 are. all

of the same length and extend in parallelism to the longitudinal axis of the sheet. To the member 17 are connected the endsof a plural ityjof links 21, the opposite ends of which are connected to the lower ends of the arms 19. The links 21 upon oscillation of the member 17 will move transversely of the sheet and by their connections with the arms will cause these arms to have anoscillation which is imparted to the movable object to which they are attached. The links 21 con nected to the arms 19 of a given movable ol ject are connected to the member 17 in the zone a to 70 corresponding to the zone a to In of the .,base in which the movable object is disposed. Thus, the head of the swan whiclrhas its base in the zone 0 of the base is connected'through its arm to a link connected with the member 17 in the zone. 0, while the boat ltwhich has its base arranged in the zone 9 has its arm connected to a link which is connected to the member 17 in the zone g.. I r

It will be obvious that if the links 21 are connected with the member 17 upon a common radius from the pivot 18 of the member,the,inovelnentimparted to the links 19 will be proportionateto the perspective position of the movable"objectwith which they are connected and accordingly each movable object will have its proper relative movement in the perspective in which it is a part. i c

It will, of course, be obvious that under some circumstances, there will be movable objects to which it is deisred that an accentuated or exaggerated movement be given. Such ObJGCtS I have illustrated in the movable objects 22 and'23 which are made aggerated movement is to be impartechand so that a greater movement of the member is provided than that which is provided by the oscillatory arms connected to the members 11 to 16. In the present instance, the

flexible elements 24tresembling fishing lines are connected to the poles, passed through openings 25 formed in the sheet 20 and conneot-ed directly to the disk. In the present showing, the connections to the disks are made mthe zones corresponding to the zones in which the members 22 and 23 have their base'or in the zones a and f respectively. If, however, a lesser movement of the mem hers 22 and 23 is desired thanthat imparted by connecting the same in the zones 1n which the members have their base, this may be provided by shifting the connection inwardly a given number of zones. For'example, the flexible element 2a of the member 22 could be connected to the zone 0 and that of the member 28 in the zone 7). Thus, the proper relative movement of these elements with regard to the perspective is preserved and at the same time an exaggerated movement is given. thereto. 1

Any suitable means may be'provid-ed for imparting an oscillatory movement to the disk. In the present instance, this disk is disclosed as equipped with a weight, causing the disk to act as a pendulum, so that an oscillatory movement imparted to the disk will" be continued for some time. However, an operating means for oscillating the disk can be employed, if this is found desirable.

Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. An animated sign con'iprising a perspective view including a stationary base includinga plurality of zones proportionately decreasing in size from the foreground to the horizon of the view, a plurality of movable element-s superimposed upon the view and To this end, the member 17 is.

properly proportioned with relation thereto and. means for snnultaneously lmparting movements tO Sttltl movable elements ln the proportion similar to the relative proportions of thezones of the view in which they have their base. i 2. An animated sign comprising a perspective view including a stationarybase including a plurality of zones proportionately decreasing in size from the foreground to the norizon ot' the view, a plurality of movable elements superimposed upon the View and properly proportioned with relation thereto, means for simultaneously imparting movements to said movable elements in the proportion similar to the relative proportionsofthe zones of the view in which they have their base, including a pivoted member subdivided from the pivot toward the free edge thereof intozones proportionate to the zones between the horizon and toreground of the view, operative, connections "between the movable elements and the pivotedmember and means for oscillating the pivoted member.

3. A ranimated sign comprising a'perspeetiveviewincluding a stationary base 1ncludingaplurality of zones proportionately decreasing in size from the foreground to the horizon of the view, a plurality of movable elements superimposed uponxthe view and properly proportioned with relation thereto, means for simultaneously imparting movements to said movable elements in the proportion similar to the relative'proportions of the, zones of the View in which they have their base, including apivoted mem-,

'ber subdivided from the pivot toward the freeedge thereof into zones proportionate to the'zones between the horizon and toreground or the view including arms of equal length connected to each movable member signature.

i SAMUEL J. BLOCKER. 

